The Larry Millete Verdict - 48 Hours

Summary4 min read

Episode Overview

Podcast: 48 Hours
Episode: The Larry Millete Verdict
Date: July 9, 2026

This special episode unpacks the murder conviction of Larry Millete, whose wife, Maya Millete, vanished in January 2021. The episode examines how a complex, circumstantial, and “no body” case led a jury to find Larry guilty, despite lingering questions, and revisits key evidence revealed in both earlier reporting and at trial.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Disappearance of Maya Millete

Timestamp [00:02]
- Maya Millete, a 39-year-old mother of three, was last seen on January 7, 2021, in Chula Vista, California.
- In October of that year, her husband Larry Millete was arrested and charged with her murder.
- Five years later: “Miliete has been found guilty of murder.”
  — Host/Analyst Caroline Polisi [00:19]

2. A “No Body” Circumstantial Case

Timestamp [00:27]
- Caroline Polisi, CBS News legal analyst, highlights the challenge of prosecuting a murder without a recovered body.
- The case “ranged from Maya’s friends and family to her former lover and that man’s ex-wife. And then there was the spellcaster.”
- Crucial question persists: “Where is Maya’s body?” — Caroline Polisi [00:40]

3. Background and Family Impact

Timestamp [01:03]
- Maya’s sister, Mary Chris Drouillier, described Maya as “the gifted one…very kind, very caring. She loves her kids.” — Mary Chris Drouillier [01:07]
Maya and Larry met young, married, and both served in the Navy before having children.

4. Initial Shock and Community Response

Timestamp [01:24]
- “I’m still in denial…she just vanished. Like I was just talking to her…and all of a sudden she’s just gone.”
  — Mary Chris Drouillier [01:35]
Search parties mobilized across the local area.

5. Signs of Domestic Turmoil

Timestamp [01:50]
- Court testimony revealed serious marital problems: Maya confided Larry was controlling, and there were reports (911 call, arrest warrant) referencing violence.
- “Maya telling a friend that Larry had once choked her until she passed out.” — Caroline Polisi [02:05]
- Defense argued “there’s no evidence of domestic violence.”
A Chilling Warning:
- “At one point she said, you know, if something happened to me, it will be Larry.” — Mary Chris Drouillier [02:40]
- Maya was considering divorce shortly before her disappearance.

6. Maya’s Affair and Larry’s Obsessions

Timestamp [03:04]
- Maya was having an affair with coworker Jamie Laird. Both Laird and his ex-wife testified.
- Larry’s efforts to save the marriage included contacting “spellcasters” aiming to control Maya and “allegedly to punish Jamie Laird.”

7. Timeline of Disappearance and Suspicious Activity

Final Sighting:
- Last known footage: Maya returning home January 7.
- Her phone activity ends at 1:25 a.m.; surveillance audio records “multiple loud bangs” that night.
Larry’s Movements:
- Next day, Larry departs home in his vehicle for hours; his phone is off.
- An investigator says about “444 miles of the vehicle’s travel that day couldn’t be fully accounted for.”
- Defense challenged the investigation’s thoroughness.

8. Courtroom Developments and Verdict

Prosecution:
- Presented testimony and evidence for weeks.
Defense:
- Called only a few witnesses in a single day, possibly banking on reasonable doubt.
Outcome:
- “The jury disagreed, finding Larry responsible for Maya’s death.” — Caroline Polisi [04:10]
- Larry’s sentencing is pending; an appeal is possible.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Mary Chris Drouillier reflecting on Maya:
- “She was the gifted one…she loves her kids.” [01:07]
Sister’s sense of disbelief:
- “I’m still in denial…she just vanished.” [01:35]
Chilling premonition:
- “At one point she said, you know, if something happened to me, it will be Larry.” — Mary Chris Drouillier [02:40]
Host’s closing insight:
- “Even with this verdict, one question remains. Where is Maya’s body?” — Caroline Polisi [00:36]

Important Segment Timestamps

[00:02] – Introduction to Maya’s disappearance and the verdict
[00:27] – Analyst Caroline Polisi frames the case’s unique challenges
[01:03] – Sister’s tribute to Maya
[01:24–01:50] – Search efforts and community/family impact
[01:50–02:40] – Domestic disputes, violence, and Maya’s divorce plans
[03:04] – Maya’s affair and Larry’s involvement with spellcasters
[03:30–04:10] – Timeline, Larry’s suspicious behavior, defense and prosecution approaches, and the verdict

Episode Tone and Language

The episode is deeply empathetic and investigative, blending emotional testimony with legal analysis. Caroline Polisi and other speakers use direct and candid language, especially when sharing Maya’s words and the lived experiences of her family.

Conclusion

This “48 Hours: Case by Case” episode methodically details the trajectory from Maya Millete’s 2021 disappearance, through years of unanswered questions, to the eventual conviction of her husband, Larry Millete, in a trial shaped by circumstantial evidence, intimate family testimony, and enduring mystery over Maya's final resting place. The search for Maya continues, even as the legal chapter closes—for now.

Loading summary

Transcript9 lines

[00:03]
A
January 7, 2021. That's the last time anyone saw Maya Miliette, a 39 year old California mother of three. In October, her husband, Larry Miliette was arrested and charged with her murder. Five years later, he went on trial in Chula Vista outside San Diego. And now, after the jury deliberated, we have a verdict. Miliete has been found guilty of murder.
[00:27]
B
Carol?
[00:27]
A
I'm CBS News legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Caroline Polisi, and this is a special episode of Case by Case. This was a largely circumstantial no body case, one we'd covered for weeks on this podcast with witnesses ranging from Maya's friends and family to her former lover and that man's ex wife. And then there was the spellcaster. But even with this verdict, one question remains. Where is Maya's body? 48 Hours first reported on Maya's disappearance back in 2021 and 2022. Her sister, Mary Chris Drouillier described her lovingly.
[01:03]
B
She was the gifted one. You know, she got the brains. She's very kind, very caring. She loves her kids.
[01:12]
A
Maya and Larry met and married young and both went on to work for the U.S. navy. They waited a few years before having their three kids. When Maya vanished without a trace, Mary Chris couldn't process it.
[01:24]
B
You know, I'm still in denial. Like, you know, it's like I still can't believe it's happening. That's just nowhere to be found. Like she's nowhere. Like she just vanished. Like I was just talking to her. You know, we were just talking to her and all of a sudden she's just gone.
[01:50]
A
There were family and community search parties looking everywhere for Maya. But court testimony revealed there were serious problems inside the Miliette home. As we talked about in our previous episodes of Case by Case, testimony showed Maya's growing concern with Larry's efforts to control her. Mary Chris's initial 911 call played in court, referenced fights and violence. And Larry's arrest warrant for Maya's murder also referenced Maya telling a friend that Larry had once choked her until she passed out. The defense has maintained there's no evidence of domestic violence between the two. Maya's sister Mary Chris testified that just over a week before Maya disappeared, Maya confided in her siblings that she wanted a divorce. Mary Chris told 48 Hours in 2021 something that Maya had said to her in passing once.
[02:41]
B
At one point she said, you know, if something happened to me, it will be Larry. She just kind of like blurted out and she was mentioning about, you know, the divorce. I just told her just be careful, just be careful because you know we in the back of my mind, in the back of our mind that he is capable of hurting my sister.
[03:05]
A
During this time, Maya had been having an affair with co worker Jamie Laird. Both Jamie and his ex wife took the stand and both testified that Larry knew about the relationship and was obsessively trying to hold on to his marriage. Then there were Larry's emails. He contacted spellcasters hoping to control Maya and allegedly to punish Jamie Laird. The last confirmed sighting of Maya is camera footage of her returning home to Chula Vista the afternoon of January 7th. She was never seen leaving. There was a record of Internet searches that evening from her phone, but at 1:25am cell transmission ended. The court also heard audio from a neighbor's surveillance system where multiple loud bangs were heard on the evening of Maya's disappearance. The next day, Larry's vehicle left the house in the early morning and didn't return for hours. His phone was off. An investigator testified that roughly 444 miles of the vehicle's travel that day couldn't be fully accounted for. Yet. During cross examination, the defense questioned the police work and some of the data. After the prosecution spent weeks on their case, the defense rested after just calling a few witnesses over the course of a single day. Perhaps they believed there was enough reasonable doubt. The jury disagreed, finding Larry responsible for Maya's death. Larry will be sentenced at a later date and could appeal. This has been a special verdict episode of Case by Case. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode. Thanks for listening.